Saturday, September 25, 2010

The Mysterious Nature of Absinthe

You have seen paintings of people drinking it. Perhaps you have heard of that it contains properties that create hallucinations? It has a long and illustrious name dated back to the early Greeks. It is sometimes known as the Green Fairy. Have you guessed? Absinthe!

Wormwood extracts and wine soaked wormwood leaves were indeed used for medicinal purposes in Greece. In the 19th century, artists and writers such as Toulouse Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh,and Oscar Wilde were found of drinking Absinthe. American writer Ernest Hemingway was known to be fond of the drink as well. However, the mysterious side effects of the drink, coupled with a strong reaction against the Bohemian culture lead social conservatives and temperance activists to lobby for a ban on the production and consumption of the drink.even

The liquor type substance is derived from the herbs and flowers of the "grande wormwood" plant. Its qualities are markedly different from those of the other alcoholic beverages such as gin or vodka. Because of the chemicals in the plant, the experience of being intoxicated on this liquor is quite different. It has a very high proof rating thus intoxication occurs far more rapidly when the "green fairy" is consumed without first being diluted. The 19th century ban, which has lasted almost one hundred years, was the result of myths about the hallucinogenic properties of the drink. However, current research has refuted those myths.

In the 1990's the Green Fairy experienced a resurgence in Europe. Now, there are over 200 brands of Absinthe manufactured. The United States allows Absinthe to be sold in this country now absent of thujone, a property of the wormwood plant. Responsible drinking is always required when consuming liquor.

To learn more about alochol, drinks, and a career as a bartender call us now or visit us on the web at http://www.abcbartending.com. We have 145 locations across the nation.

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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Europe is swept by 1940s fever and the drinks lead the way

The times they are a changing. Or so the song goes. But over in Europe they are dancing to our Big Band music and drinking our 1940s cocktails.

While many of the popular drinks during that time had a previous history, many found renewed acclaim during the hard times of the war era. Good quality liquor was not easy to find -- nor was it affordable. Thus, the drinking scene turned to mixed cocktails. Rum, however, was easily obtained.

Take a look at this list and see what sounds familiar. Sloe Gin Fizz, Manhattan, Martini, Sherry Flip (made with a raw egg and cream sherry – uh oh!), and Daiquiri. Here is where the story get interesting. A cousin of the Daiquiri, the Hurricane found its place in the annals of drinkology during this era. It all happened in New Orleans. A tavern owner, Pat O’Brien, tired of the cheap rums he had bought and anxious to be done with them, created a sensation with this new concoction of rum and passion fruit syrup. He placed the drink in a hurricane lamp shaped glass and sold it to the soldiers. Little did he know that it would be synonymous with New Orleans 70 plus years later.


You can learn how to make all of the drinks mentioned above and more. Check out our website for class schedules across the nation. ABC Bartending School, everything you need to know about bartending and more.

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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Retro is in. Do you know your drink history?

It began innocently enough. In the late 1890s, folks used to drink a tall chilled glass of ginger ale with a twist of lemon peel. One day, a bar tender added bourbon to the drink. While his job was at stake, the drink became an instant success. The result -- his job was secured and the drink began a long and success run that continues today. It remains one of the IBA's (International Bartending Association) drink at the annual World Cocktail Competition.

The Horse's Neck (as this thirst quenching taste is known) has been discussed in papers since 1897. It was a resoundingly popular drink during the 1950s and 60s and remains so today. Required elements: a tall glass, ice, ginger ale, whiskey or brandy, and a spiral of lemon.

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Friday, November 13, 2009

Become a Bartender at ABC Bartending School

So you want to become a bartender to make money, meet people, and have a good time? Well welcome to the world of professional bartending - that’s what bartending is all about.

Bartending has been dubbed the ‘recession-proof’ job of the last and present century. People look to the bartender when times are either good or bad, when they are in need of a friendly face, a smile, and a great drink.

Back in the day, the modern bartender was commonly referred to as a mixologist, which is the art of mixing drinks that has evolved through the years and been featured in such well-known movies as Cocktail and Coyote Ugly and TV shows such as Cheers and The Jackie Gleason Show.

So what are you waiting for? Go to www.abcbartendingnationwide.com, chose a bartending school near you, and start having fun while making money!

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Saturday, September 26, 2009

Bartending Jobs

Are you looking for a job as a bartender? If yes, then you may be asking the following question:

How do I get started looking for a bartending job?

Simple, pick the local street in your town that has the most amount of bars. Then go from side to side filling out applications and asking for a bartending position. Remember this very important statement: "The more you go, the more you show and the more you are heard, the better chance of getting a job. However, the less you go and the less you show, the less chance you have at getting a bartending job." If you only go out on 1 interview a week then how many people are honestly going to know that you're looking for work? If you go out on 20 job interviews per week, then the percentages will speak for themselves. Again, get the most amount of job interviews in the least amount of time!

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Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Shirley Temple


The Shirley Temple Cocktail
glass filled with ice cubes
Almost fill with ginger ale
1/2 oz. grenadine
a cherry

The drink was invented by a bartender at Chasen's restaurant in Beverly Hills, CA. It was named for the famous child actress Shirley Temple, who often visited the restaurant. She was too young to drink alcoholic cocktails like the adult movie stars, when she attended parties or visited with them.
When Temple herself is asked for her opinion of these drinks named for her, she invariably replies that she dislikes them because they are too sweet, and that she does not gain earnings for the use of her name.Later, the popular beverage became available bottled in supermarkets as the first soft drink to include a cherry.
Learn how to make this drink and become a professional bartender at
ABC Bartending Schools nationwide
Bartending School of Chicago
downtown Chicago 312) 664-0704
Chicago suburbs (847) 228-0700

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Friday, June 01, 2007

The Hurricane

The Hurricane
1 oz vodka
1/4 oz grenadine syrup
1 oz gin1 oz light rum
1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz triple sec
grapefruit juice
pineapple juice

A hurricane is an extremely sweet alcoholic drink made from lime juice, passion fruit syrup and rum. It is one of the most popular drinks among tourists and locals alike in New Orleans.

The creation of this passion fruit-colored relative of a Daiquiri drink is credited to Pat O'Brien. He is reported to have invented the hurricane in the 1940s in New Orleans. Rumors say he needed to get rid of all the rum that southern distributors forced him to buy before he could get a few cases of other spirits. He poured the concoction into hurricane-lamp-shaped glasses and gave it away to sailors. The drink caught on, and it has been part of the celebration ever since.



Learn to make and serve this drink as a professional bartender at
ABC Bartending Schools nationwide.

Bartending School of Los Angeles
2235 North Lake Avenue,
Suite 205Altadena, CA 91001(702) 650-2510
Call Toll Free 1-888-COCKTAIL (1-888-262-5824)
9 AM - 10 PM, 7 Days a Week

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

The Mint Julep


Mint Julep
The Mint Julep is a mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail associated with the Cuisine of the Southern United States and is a featured tradition of the Kentucky Derby.

A mint julep is traditionally made of four ingredients: mint, bourbon, sugar and water. In the use of sugar and mint, it is similar to the mojito.

The drink was probably invented sometime in the 18th Century. U.S. Senator Henry Clay (Whig-Kentucky) introduced the drink to Washington D.C. at the famous Willard Hotel during his residence in the city. The word 'julep' is derived from the Persian 'julab' meaning rose water.

Traditionally, mint juleps were often served in silver or pewter cups, and held only by the bottom and top edges of the cup. This allows frost to form on the outside of the cup, which some consider a sign of gentility. Others merely find it pleasant to look at. http://www.cocktailtimes.com
Learn to make and serve this drink as a professional bartender from
ABC Bartending Schools nationwide.
Bartending School of NYC
500 8th Avenue
8th Floor Suite 808
Manhattan, NY 10018
Licensed by the New York State Education Department.

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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The Mojito

The Mojito
3 fresh mint sprigs
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz light rum
club soda

Mojito is a traditional Cuban cocktail which became popular in the United States during the late 1980s, and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity.
A mojito is traditionally made of five ingredients: spearmint, rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, and carbonated water. Its combination of sweetness and refreshing citrus and spearmint flavors are intended to mask the potent kick of the rum, and have made this clear cocktail a popular summer drink.
The mojito is currently considered a highly fashionable beverage. Its popularity is evidenced by its prominent role in recent Bacardi advertisements. After the daiquiri (another rum-based cocktail), the mojito was the second favorite drink of the writer Ernest Hemingway.[1]. It is rumored that the origin of the word "mojito" is derived from the diminutive of the word "mojo".
Learn how to make and serve this drink as a professional bartender


ABC Bartending School has classes nationwide

Bartending School of South Beach, Florida
901 Alton Road Miami Beach
Call Toll Free 1-888-202-5824
Call 8 AM - 10 PM, 7 Days a Week
305-267-1446

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Thursday, May 17, 2007

The Bloody Mary History

2 parts vodka
3 parts tomato juice
Ground salt and pepper
6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
5 drops Tabasco
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. horseradish
Dash of lemon or lime juice
Dash of orange juice (optional)
May be shaken vigorously or stirred lazily, as desired. Garnish with a celery stalk; a skewer of olives, pickles, carrots, mushrooms, or other vegetables

The origin of the Bloody Mary is somewhat disputed. One claim states that it was originally created by George Jessel around 1939. The New York Herald Tribune (December 2, 1939) printed what is believed to be the first reference to this drink, along with the original recipe: "George Jessel’s newest pick-me-up which is receiving attention from the town’s paragraphers is called a Bloody Mary: half tomato juice, half vodka." Frenchman Fernand Petiot corroborates that George Jessel first created the drink and name, and that he (Petiot) merely added the spices to the plain vodka and tomato juice drink. From the New Yorker Magazine, July 1964:
“I initiated the Bloody Mary of today,” he told us. “George Jessel said he created it, but it was really nothing but vodka and tomato juice when I took it over. I cover the bottom of the shaker with four large dashes of salt, two dashes of black pepper, two dashes of cayenne pepper, and a layer of Worcestershire sauce; I then add a dash of lemon juice and some cracked ice, put in two ounces of vodka and two ounces of thick tomato juice, shake, strain, and pour. We serve a hundred to a hundred and fifty Bloody Marys a day here in the King Cole Room and in the other restaurants and the banquet rooms.”
The epithet "Bloody Mary" is associated with a number of historical and fictional women, most notably Queen Mary I of England (see Bloody Mary (person) for others); however, there is no known connection between the name of the cocktail and any of these people.
The name likely refers to the blood-like color of the cocktail.


Learn to make this drink and more at:

ABC Bartending Schools Nationwide


Bartending School of Orlando, Florida
653 North Mills Avenue
(407) 894-6719
Call Toll Free 1-888-COCKTAIL (1-888-262-5824)
Call 8 AM - 10 PM, 7 Days a Week



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Tuesday, May 15, 2007

The Margarita


MARGARITA
Cocktail, blend or shake
1 oz Tequila
½ oz Triple Sec
2 oz sweet/sour
Salt rim of glass
Garnish with lime wedge
Just as there are various accounts of the margarita's origins, there are also countless theories on making the perfect margarita, with every bartender claiming to have the definitive recipe. Some add sugar or sugar syrup, some add more tequila, some swear by frozen margaritas, others prefer shaken. Generally a stemmed wide-mouth cocktail glass is used, its rim lightly moistened with a wedge of lime and then dipped briefly in salt to lightly coat it. Then the cocktail is poured in and garnished with a slice of lime.
History
According to one account, the most famous of tequila cocktails, the margarita, was first concocted in 1938 by Danny Herrera, bartender at the Rancho La Gloria bar in Tijuana for aspiring actress Marjorie King. The starlet claimed to be allergic to all liquors except tequila, so Herrera used it to create a new drink for Marjorie and gave it her Spanish name: Margarita.
Another version holds that the margarita was invented on the Fourth of July 1942 in Tommy's Bar in Ciudad Juarez by Pancho Morales, who called it a "daisy," or margarita. Or perhaps you prefer the story that famed Dallas socialite Margarita Sames came up with the cocktail during a Christmas party at her vacation home in Acapulco, serving it to a group of friends that included Tommy Hilton, who introduced to his hotel chain…
by:http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com

Learn this drink and more at:
ABC Bartending Schools
Locations Nationwide such as:
Bartending School of Fort Lauderdale, FL
3415 North Dixie Highway Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334
(954) 566-0488
Call Toll Free 1-888-COCKTAIL (1-888-262-5824)
Call 8 AM - 10 PM, 7 Days a Week

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Friday, May 11, 2007

The Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan
1/2 oz. Triple sec1 oz. VodkaSplash Cranberry1/2 oz. Lime Juice 1 Lime Wedge
This origins of the Cosmopolitan are somewhat disputed. According to the International Bartenders Association the original recipe is based on Absolut Citron. Most sources credit South Beach, Florida bartender Cheryl Cook with the original creation. In an online interview, Cheryl Cook states she created the drink in 1985 or 1986:“What overwhelmed me was the number of people who ordered Martinis just to be seen with a Martini glass in their hand. It was on this realization that gave me the idea to create a drink that everyone could palate and was visually stunning in that classic glass. This is what the Cosmo was based on.”

Her original recipes called for "Absolut Citron, a splash of Triple Sec, a drop of roses lime and just enough cranberry to make it oh so pretty in pink."The next person involved in the creation of the drink was Toby Cecchini of Manhattan. While working at The Odeon in 1987/1988, Cecchini worked from a poorly described version of Cook's original drink, and developed a slightly different version using Cointreau and fresh-squeezed lime juice. Cecchini's version has become the common standard method for preparing the drink.

An alternate account names the creator as Neal Murray of the Cork & Cleaver steakhouse in Minneapolis in 1975. The Cosmopolitan gained popularity fairly quickly, traveling from Miami to San Francisco, to New York. It really gained in popularity in the 1990s, and was further popularized among young women by its frequent mention on the the television program Sex and the City.
This is just a taste of what you can learn at ABC Bartending Schools.
There is always an ABC Bartending School close to you.
http://www.abcbartendingschool.com

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